Gas heating applicance

ABSTRACT

A trivet for supporting both flat and curved bottom cooking vessels. Various alternatives are described including a flippable trivet which on one side supports flat bottomed vessels and on the other curved bottom vessels. The curved bottom vessel may be supported by either upstanding prongs, an upstanding ring, an aperture in the trivet, or a ring in the trivet.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to cooking vessel support structure particularly though not solely for use with gas cookers. Such structures are commonly known as trivets, grates or pan supports, and the terms may be used interchangeably.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] It is well known in the art of gas cookers to provide a support structure which supports cooking vessels the correct distance above the gas flames, but which minimises any quelching or impairment of the flames before they heat the cooking vessel. Accordingly the support structure, or trivets as they are more commonly known, often comprise a small number of narrow prongs on which the cooking vessel may rest. These prongs may be for example be constructed of cast iron or enamel coated steel.

[0003] Generally speaking two types of trivets are used. Firstly, a flat trivet would be used in case of normal flat bottomed cooking pots or frying pans. However, in the case of abnormally shaped pots, such as Chinese woks a different configuration needs to be provided. To overcome this often gas cookers will be sold with at least one extra trivet which may be interchanged to support a wok. This may for example have a inner ring on which the wok is supported, or a number of vertical upstands for which support the wok. Alternatively an additional upstand may be supplied which is stored separately. The upstand is installed over top of the normal trivet whenever a Wok is used. It would be desirable therefore to provide a trivet which did not require the need for an extra trivet to be supplied for cooking with a wok. For example in Japanese Patent publication no. 8247478 a trivet for a gas range, capable of supporting a flat bottom of or a large and round bottom of a pan, etc., in a stable state, is described. A plurality of hooks supporting a bottom of a pan, etc., are pivotably connected to a plurality of legs standing on a table flame by using pins and these hooks are fixed inside the table frame surrounding flames from a burner 1 at a position where the hooks extend in a substantially horizontal direction, or are fixed outside the table flame at a position where the hooks extend in a slant direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a support structure which overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages in the prior art or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

[0005] Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention consists in a structure for supporting a cooking vessel above a gas burner comprising:

[0006] a plurality of interconnected supporting members forming on one side thereof a first supporting side, and on the opposite side a second supporting side,

[0007] wherein said first supporting side is adapted to accommodate a flat bottomed cooking vessel in contact with said supporting members in a first plane of support, and

[0008] said second side has at least one wok support adapted to accommodate an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel in contact with said wok support in a second plane of support, and wherein with said structure in place, for use, with said first side upward, said first plane of support is at a first level relative to said gas burner; and

[0009] with said structure in place, for use, with said second side upward, said second plane of support is at a second level relative to said gas burner, and

[0010] said second level being further from said gas burner than said first level.

[0011] Preferably said wok support includes at least three co-planar support locations in said second plane of support, and each said support location is provided by an upstand member extending from said plurality of interconnected support members.

[0012] Preferably said wok support includes at least one at least part annular upstand attached to said plurality of interconnected members and adapted to support an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel.

[0013] Preferably said wok support is provided by an upstand ring, extending from and supported by said plurality of interconnected members.

[0014] Preferably at least two of said plurality of interconnected members, are terminal, having a free end, and arranged to converge toward a central point above said gas burner, and wherein at least of said support locations is provided by an upstand member attached to at least one of said terminal members, toward said free end, and adapted to contact an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel.

[0015] To those skllled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

[0016] The invention consists in the forgoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] One preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

[0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention showing the flat side of the trivet facing upwards, and

[0019]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention with the wok side facing upwards.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The present invention provides a simple and cheap support structure which can be easily used to support either a flat bottomed cooking vessel or a round bottomed wok when used with a gas cooker. Simply by flipping the structure over the operator can choose between the desired supporting configurations.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 we see the present invention installed in a gas cooker 100 with a gas burner 102, which may have a single or multiple concentric rings of outlets. The trivet 104 includes an outer edge 106 which fits securely within a lip 108 running around the edge of the gas cooker 100. Under normal use a cooking vessel 110 with a flat bottom would then be placed on top of the trivet 104 and supported thereby the support members 105 which run between the area between the edge 106, and above the gas burner 102. In this fashion the trivet 104 can be easily removed for cleaning and maintenance of the gas burner 102.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 2, we see the present invention in use with the trivet 104 now inverted in the wok support configuration. As can be seen in FIG. 2 a number of vertical upstands 112 are shown attached perpendicularly to the support members 105 and extending vertically upwards. While in FIG. 2 there are shown four such vertical upstands, it will be appreciated that any number greater than three will be adequate to support a round bottomed cooking vessel 114 such as a wok. It would also be appreciated that these prongs must be positioned wide enough and high enough so as to provide stable support to a wok 114, but also such that when the trivet 104 is inverted in the flat bottom pot configuration, that the vertical upstands 112 do not interfere with the gas burner 105 or the flames heating the cooking vessel.

[0023] While it will be appreciated that in the preceding, was one possible embodiment was described, a number of variations are possible. For example, the present invention could also be achieved with upstanding prongs with an aperture in the trivet,

[0024] an upstanding ring with an aperture in the trivet,

[0025] supported within an aperture in the trivet by the horizontal members,

[0026] supported within an aperture in the trivet on a ring, or

[0027] high upstanding prongs with no aperture in the trivet

[0028] It will be appreciated that the present invention as described in the foregoing is a simple and easy method for providing a trivet which can be used to support either a flat bottom cooking vessel or a wok-style cooking vessel above a gas cooker. In so doing it dispenses with the need for extra trivets or less efficient configurations as were known previously in the prior art. By providing the support for the work over a wide area the stability and therefore safety is improved. Further the supports are unobtrusive and far removed from the flames, thereby minimising any loss of heating and maximising efficiency. Also as the trivet is supported and confined by the lip, it is very stable. Such stability is important for wok cooking which can be quite vigourous and safety is paramount. 

1. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel above a gas burner comprising: a plurality of interconnected supporting members forming on one side thereof a first supporting side, and on the opposite side a second supporting side, wherein said first supporting side is adapted to accommodate a flat bottomed cooking vessel in contact with said supporting members in a first plane of support, and said second side has at least one wok support adapted to accommodate an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel in contact with said wok support in a second plane of support, and wherein with said structure in place, for use, with said first side upward, said first plane of support is at a first level relative to said gas burner; and with said structure in place, for use, with said second side upward, said second plane of support is at a second level relative to said gas burner, and said second level being further from said gas burner than said first level.
 2. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wok support includes at least three co-planar support locations in said second plane of support, and each said support location is provided by an upstand member extending from said plurality of interconnected support members.
 3. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wok support includes at least one at least part annular upstand attached to said plurality of interconnected members and adapted to support an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel.
 4. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein said wok support includes at least one at least part annular upstand attached to said plurality of interconnected members and adapted to support an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel.
 5. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wok support is provided by an upstand ring, extending from and supported by said plurality of interconnected members.
 6. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein said wok support is provided by an upstand ring, extending from and supported by said plurality of interconnected members.
 7. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 3, wherein said wok support is provided by an upstand ring, extending from and supported by said plurality of interconnected members.
 8. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two of said plurality of interconnected members, are terminal, having a free end, and arranged to converge toward a central point above said gas burner, and wherein at least of said support locations is provided by an upstand member attached to at least one of said terminal members, toward said free end, and adapted to contact an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel.
 9. A structure for supporting a cooking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least two of said plurality of interconnected members, are terminal, having a free end, and arranged to converge toward a central point above said gas burner, and wherein at least of said support locations is provided by an upstand member attached to at least one of said terminal members, toward said free end, and adapted to contact an at least partially curved bottom cooking vessel. 